Systems and methods for separation and purification of products

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for an electrochemical cell including an anode and a cathode where the anode is contacted with a metal ion that converts the metal ion from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state. The metal ion in the higher oxidation state is reacted with an unsaturated hydrocarbon and/or a saturated hydrocarbon to form products. Separation and/or purification of the products as well as of the metal ions in the lower oxidation state and the higher oxidation state, is provided herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 contacting an anode with an anode electrolyte wherein the anode electrolyte comprises CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water; oxidizing CuCl to CuCl 2  at the anode; reacting ethylene with the anode electrolyte comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water to form one or more organic compounds comprising ethylene dichloride (EDC) and chloroethanol (CE) and reducing CuCl 2  to CuCl; exiting first vapor stream comprising EDC and a first liquid stream comprising EDC, CE, CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water; and 
 separating and purifying the one or more organic compounds comprising ethylene dichloride (EDC) and chloroethanol (CE) from an aqueous medium comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water wherein the separating and purify comprises
 vapor-liquid separation process that separates the exiting first liquid stream into a second vapor stream comprising EDC and CE and a second liquid stream comprising EDC, CE, CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water; 
 compression-cooling process that condenses the exiting first vapor stream comprising EDC to a third liquid stream; 
 a liquid-liquid separation process that separates the second liquid stream exiting the vapor-liquid separation process and the third liquid stream exiting the compression-cooling process into a fourth liquid stream comprising EDC and CE and a fifth liquid stream comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water, and 
 a scrubbing process that reacts an alkali with the second liquid stream exiting the vapor-liquid separation process and/or the fifth liquid stream exiting the liquid-liquid separation process, 
 
 to separate the one or more organic compounds comprising EDC and CE and the aqueous medium comprising CuCl, CuCl 2 , NaCl, and water, wherein the aqueous medium obtained after the separation and purification comprises less than about 1% or no organic compound. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the separating and purifying further comprises reaction separation process, purification subprocess, adsorption, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the reaction separation comprises reactive distillation, reactive extraction, or combination thereof; the liquid-liquid separation process comprises decantation, extraction, or combination thereof; the vapor-liquid separation process comprises flash distillation, distillation, or combination thereof and/or the purification subprocess process comprises decantation, adsorption, distillation, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid-liquid separation process comprises decanting the second liquid stream from the vapor-liquid separation process and/or the third liquid stream from the compression-cooling process and optionally extracting the second or the third liquid stream using an extractant; and the vapor-liquid separation process comprises separating volatile components as the second vapor stream from the second liquid stream by flash, distillation, or combination thereof. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alkali is NaOH. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising feeding liquid stream from the scrubber process to a byproduct removal column and removing heavier impurities. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising feeding liquid stream from the byproduct removal column to a fractionating column. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a purification subprocess following the scrubbing process and/or following the liquid-liquid separation process to remove water content from liquid stream exiting the scrubbing process and/or the fourth or the fifth liquid stream exiting the liquid-liquid separation process. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the purification subprocess comprises decantation, adsorption, distillation, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising producing the EDC with more than about 90% yield and/or more than about 90% purity.